Acne

Acne

Acne is a skin condition which affects most of the men and women in teenage or puberty where major change in the harmones of the body is seen. It occurs when the hair follicle is blocked with oil and dead skin cells. It commonly appears on your face, neck, back and shoulders. It can be very annoying and stress you out. It also affects one emotionally and deters self confidence.

It is mostly seen in the area of the skin with the largest number of sebaceous(oil) glands like the face, neck, chest, back and shoulders. It is not actually caused by bacteria but plays a role in its development.

Types :

Acne can be of two types basically :

• Non-inflammatory

• Inflammatory

Non-inflammatory acne is generally called comedones - can be either a whitehead or blackhead.

• Whitehead : When sebum or oil and bacteria gets trapped below the skin surface, a whitehead is formed. It appears like a small white spot.

• Blackhead : It occurs when the pore opens on the surface of skin and then turns black or brown in color. It cannot be washed or removed so easily. It takes a long time to fall out by themselves.

Inflammatory acne can be of 4 types in general : papule, pustule, nodule and cyst.

• Papule occurs when the follicular wall on skin breaks and then white blood cells rush into it and becomes inflamed.

• Pustule forms when these white blood cells rush to the surface of the skin. It is called pimple or a zit.

• Nodule occurs when the follicle breaks at the bottom and then causes a large inflamed bump. It can be painful to touch.

• Cyst occurs to some inflammatory reaction where the bump may become very large and pus filled.

Milia is another skin condition where tiny white spot like bumps occur. It is most commonly seen in newborns across the nose, upper cheeks and also on adult skin. It disappear when the surface is worn away.

Quick tips to help you reduce acne :

1. Cleansing : Use a mild cleanser (oil-free or non-comodogenic) twice a day only to clean your face and keep it oil free. Remember not to wash your face to often since dirt is not the actual cause of acne but the clogged pore and oil along with the trapped bacteria is the cause.

2. Do not touch or prick or squeeze your skin often : Touching your skin too often irritates the skin and makes it more acne prone. It only makes the condition worse. So leave the skin alone to heal slowly.

3. Do not scrub : It only irritates your skin more. Use a face wash without any scrub like beads or balls in it.

4. Pat dry your skin, do not rub dry : After you wash your face, pat it dry and do not rub it cause it will again irritate your skin.

5. Water : Drink more water to flush out those toxins in your body because of stress and diet or any other reason. Water always help the skin stay healthy and glowing as it cleanses you from within.

6. Avoid oily food : If you already have an oily skin, stay away from those deep fried and oily stuff as it allows more acne to develop on the skin. Moreover it is not healthy.

7. Avoid greasy make-up : Make-up only clogs your pores causing more pimples and blackheads. Use water based and non greasy make-up if it is necessary.